Thoughts on new big game loads now available

[Holland&Holland]

Just am courious on others thoughts about the several new big game loads that have hit the market in the last couple of years. Ones that are top of mind for me are .375 Ruger, .416 Ruger, and .370 Sako but I think the same topic could apply to ones like .338 Ruger compact magnum and .338 Federal to a lesser extent. I understand that their performance "appoaches" or meets the performance of loads like the .375 H&H or the .416 Rigby (respecitvly), but with limited manufaturer availablity it seems unlikely that these loads will replace their 100 year old ancestors. And since they are acheiving these results using high performance powders that are not avilable to the reloader (may be wrong, per an article in G&A on the .370 Sako) it seems unlikely that handloaders will take them up. Just wondering what others thoughts are on these new loads and their viability in the market long term. I partialy am asking as my next aquisition will likely be in the venerable .375 H&H which I must confess I have had an infatuation with since I was a kid.

[Einthoven's Triangle]

Basically they are an answer to a question that did need not be raised.....look at Win and WSSM WSM, and Rem and RUM and SAUM rounds....Some people just want to slap their name on cartridge.

[Belgiboy]

Some of those cartridges are designed to approach the performance of the classic dangerous game cartridges out of a shorter barrel or a shorter action. Was there really a demand for that? I highly doubt it, but their marketing tends to create a demand by sending Craig Boddington off to Africa again and have him shoot a Cape Buffalo, so he can pose with their rifle/cartridge. Those articles always follow the same pattern, Craig is reminescing about a non-existant cartridge, then he gets a phonecall from some industry representative that informs him of the new revolution in the make. A month or two later they ship him off to the Wannalookiewookie Preserve in Zamoomba with a box of the new cartridges who still have the experimental green colored tips instead of the red tips for the production version. Craig shoots bighorned and dangerous African critter and remarks how managable the recoil is, 10 000 ft lps but it feels like a 30-06. Slap on a couple of remarks about his new shooting sticks or a kind word about his tracker... done. I could get used to that job.

[Holland&Holland]

I could get used to that job.

LOL I could as well. I think you are correct. Just marketing hype.

[Pinnacle]

Lets look at this really closely -

What is the difference between now and waaay back then? NOTHING

Can you really tell the difference in some new uber shooting 375 caliber over the venerable 375 H&H? NOPE Dead is dead. We have found that when you take a caliber that is meant to be fired froma 24" bbl and in a gun that weighs 9-10 lbs - you make a shorter equavalent with a new improved "modern" caliber - the guns get TOO PUNISHING TO SHOOT. Gun writers are pay to play and that my friends is how this business works. When people buy their line of crap and dont know how to make decisions for themselves.

If you want a 375 - then BUY A 375 H&H Dont ask it to do something that it was never meant to do. Dont buy a 375 RUM and cry when it hurts you to shoot it - or think that there is a perceptable advantage in a 300WSM over a 30-06 (it is so imperceptable in terminal effect it is mental masturbation with LOTS more recoil)

I think that the best is the expample of the 284 Winchester - perhaps too far ahead of its time - lauded as useless by Gun Writers of the day - now those same type jockeys are singing the praises of the Short Mags (look real close at the 284 sometime - hell of a caliber and well - in all ways equavalent to a 7mm Rem Mag -or well a 270 Win that shoots heavier bullets which is no faint praise and is the basis for a whole host of wildcats that are the best of their breed ala the 6.5x284 which is a WONDERFUL caliber....)

It is all about creating the perceived need folks and selling guns and ammo.

Does the world need more short mags and re-works of old calibers? Nope - but since when is the gun world a need driven market?

[Holland&Holland]

What is the difference between now and waaay back then? NOTHING

Well now with Steroid use rampant among the Cape Buffalo population, don't you think we need something better than the old .375 H&H to counter act them. I mean they just aren't the same creature as back durning the Safari hay days!

Just kidding, I agree completely

[Belgiboy]

What is the difference between now and waaay back then? NOTHING

Well now with Steroid use rampant among the Cape Buffalo population, don't you think we need something better than the old .375 H&H to counter act them. I mean they just aren't the same creature as back durning the Safari hay days!

Just kidding, I agree completely

Steroid use? I thought them Buffalo got caught smoking a bong full of weed.

[Pinnacle]

I think that it is amazing that people would put themselves through utter PAIN to shoot what they feel would be a better more powerful caliber and I just dont see it.

The advent of premium bullets - Barnes especially has raised the bar on terminal performance of a lot of older calibers without beating the crap out of the shooter. A 285gr. Barnes X in a 375 at STANDARD velocity from a 375 will actualy outperform the bigger uber mags using more traditional bullets with WAAAY less recoil.

Lets take the 30-06 for example with a 130gr BARNES X - it will outperform and outpenetrate a 150 gr standard bullet from a 300 WSM.... WITH LESS RECOIL....

Technology overcomes a lot of PERCEIVED shortcomings of some of the older venerable calibers.

Here is the perfect example - the 6.5x55mm Swede Mauser - hell of a caliber - with the right BULLET within its range - more than capable of doing anyhing that any of the larger more heavily recoiling calibers can do - and quite well. The 243 is another one with the right bullet can perform.

[Vlad]

I agree 100%. I knew a guy that used a .458 Win Mag for deer hunting. I asked why and he replied, because I can. Now does that make the deer any deader then if I used a 243 that I could shoot more often because it was comfortable and not to mention more economical?

There is a certain element of bigger, better, faster than you that comes into play.

Remember, a cell phone is the only thing that a guy will brag that he has "the smallest one on the market"…

[Pinnacle]

There was this guy here locally that bought a 50BMG rifle and thought that it was too heavy - he sent it to a gunsmth to take some of the weight off of the gun - about 14 lbs came off as well as the brake...

When he fired the gun - he fractured his skull - tore his ribs off of his spine and seperatedhis sternum (flail chest) - suffered a subdural hematoma - shattered his shoulder and humerous - and launched the gun 30 feet into the car behind the bench. Needless to say this guy is now a mess and poops into a bag attached to his hip.

MORAL of the story is this - dont make something into what it was never meant to be - it comes with a price.

[Holland&Holland]

My sediments exactly. I use a .25-06 for deer. I can place it just about anywhere I want. It can reach out to as far as I am comfortable shooting. And with modern bullets it performs well without much meat damage.

By the way, is that .50 BMG story for real? What gunsmith would do that for a guy? Should have thrown him out of the shop when he requested it... Just my .02.

[Stradawhovious]

What gunsmith would do that for a guy? Should have thrown him out of the shop when he requested it... Just my .02.

I would think Goose Hill would do that...... I have heard some real horror stories from that place..... but the story still sounds like an urban legend.

MY .02, I hope I didn't offend anyone.

[goalie]

Basically they are an answer to a question that did need not be raised.....look at Win and WSSM WSM, and Rem and RUM and SAUM rounds....Some people just want to slap their name on cartridge.

I would agree with one exception: the .375 Ruger basically gives you a .375 H&H in a lighter, shorter, better handling rifle. A lot of the SAUM and RUM rounds didn't really do anything a "regular" round couldn't do in a factory available rifle. If you want something in .375 H&H comparable to the Ruger Alaskan in .375 Ruger, you need to go custom and at least have the barrel chopped, and the shorter barrel will leave you with much less "high end" performance.

[goalie]

There was this guy here locally that bought a 50BMG rifle and thought that it was too heavy - he sent it to a gunsmth to take some of the weight off of the gun - about 14 lbs came off as well as the brake...

When he fired the gun - he fractured his skull - tore his ribs off of his spine and seperatedhis sternum (flail chest) - suffered a subdural hematoma - shattered his shoulder and humerous - and launched the gun 30 feet into the car behind the bench. Needless to say this guy is now a mess and poops into a bag attached to his hip.

MORAL of the story is this - dont make something into what it was never meant to be - it comes with a price.

That is SUCH an lie. Only HALF my ribs were detached......


(yes, I am kidding)

Oh, and one other thing, as to the .375 H&H vs 375 Ruger thing... for years, guys were paying money to chop rifle to use up in Alaska as their bear protection "back up" rifles. I agree that the concept is a little ridiculous to use in Africa, especially considering how they hunt there, but, Alaska convinced me that a short, handy rifle that will shoot big bullets through a LOT of animal is a good thing, even if the recoil just plain hurts.

Big bears are, well, BIG.

[Pinnacle]

What gunsmith would do that for a guy? Should have thrown him out of the shop when he requested it... Just my .02.

I would think Goose Hill would do that...... I have heard some real horror stories from that place..... but the story still sounds like an urban legend.

MY .02, I hope I didn't offend anyone.

It is a true story and not an urban legend. I know one of the "smiths" that was asked to chop this rifle - when he refused this guy went about finding someone that would. Be careful what you ask for you will just get it